A major component of successful practice marketing is how well your office staff is trained to receive consumer responses and questions. Today let’s start with tips you can share with staff for handling an inbound call.

Greet the caller with your given name and the full name of your clinic. “Thank you for calling ABC Hearing. This is _______. How may I help you?”

Get the caller’s full name. “May I have your complete name?”

Identify person with need. “Are you calling for you or someone else?”

Discover and record the source of the call. “How did you hear about us?”

Assess urgency. “When did you first notice problems with your hearing?”

Ask for the appointment. (Schedule the date, time and length of appointment). “Do you prefer mornings or afternoons?”

Get the caller’s phone number. “May I please have your phone number?”

Confirm companion. “Who will be accompanying you to the appointment?“

Confirm the date and time of the appointment, and provide directions to the offices if necessary, before hanging up.

To be consistent it can be helpful to develop a script not only for training but also as an on-the-job tool for your staff. Regularly review your inbound calling process for what is working well and what is not and revise.

Your staff may also find a quick reference “guide” or grid useful when taking calls. For example, divide a sheet of paper into four sections and add questions you would like answered or information you would want to know before a patient comes in for an appointment – or – create a grid for commonly asked questions or customer concerns. Here are some ideas to get you started: